White Team Edges Red Team 22-21 At Spring Game

News9.com

NORMAN, Oklahoma – There was certainly no shortage of storylines for Oklahoma's annual Red-White Spring Game on Saturday.

The start of the game was pushed forward to a 1:45 p.m. start time due to severe weather, but that didn't stop more than 20,000 fans from coming out to see a 22-21 victory for the White Team.

With an offense vs. defense scoring format rather than splitting up the roster into two equal teams, some of the biggest storylines of the upcoming day were pitted against each other.

Fans got to see Mike Stoops' return to the helm at defense for the Sooner up against another big returnee in Landry Jones, and a spectacular newcomer in wide receiver Trey Metoyer.

While the offense (White Team) used a normal scoring system, the defense got points for forced turnovers, stops, and other accomplishments.

Landry Jones understandably didn't get a whole lot of playing time, but the talk of the afternoon was freshman wide receiver Trey Metoyer.

He led all receivers in the game with six catches for 72 yards and some big playmaking.

Coach Bob Stoops said it's tough to remember who had a good day when so many players are getting so many players in, but he certainly remembered Metoyer.

"He just has got incredible hands and the ability to make plays," Stoops said. "He has a knack for adjusting to the football; just all the things you saw today. He can run. He really relishes the moment. He is a competitor for a young guy. He is a player. He just has a natural feel for it, on spacing and how to make plays and get to the ball. All of those things."

Landry Jones threw only eight passes on the day, totaling four completions and 23 yards. The rest of the time was spent between backups Drew Allen, Blake Bell and Kendal Thompson.

Bell had the best day of the quarterbacks, going 14-for-19 with 179 yards and a touchdown. Kendal Thompson threw for 42 yards and a touchdown while Allen had 72 yards on 10-18 passing.

Co-offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said his quarterbacks were solid overall but still need to improve their attention to detail.

"The quarterbacks, the young guys, did some positive things sometimes -- made some plays, scrambled around. Drew [Allen] did some decisive things in the pocket. We just weren't consistent enough in handling the clock, the mechanics. There were some things, the detail things, that we need to get better at."

The offense didn't register a turnover in the scrimmage and had some large-yardage plays of 50-plus.

Linebacker Corey Nelson and defensive back Julian Wilson led the defense with eight tackles apiece.

Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said he kept the defense pretty generic overall today, but will look to get much more in depth as practices progress into the fall.

"We're not a team that can't be in the right place, understand your responsibility," he said. "When we play together we're really solid across the board. I think we're going to be a very complete defense. When we come back in August we'll have some guys that weren't with us today that we desperately need."

OU opens the 2012 season at UTEP on Sept. 1.